Street-cleaning machine



(No Model.) I 3- Sheets-Sheet 1.

, L. M. JOURDAN. r

STREET CLEANING MACHINE. No. 453,425. Paltented June '2, 1891.-

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3 SheetsSheet 2.

(No Model.)

L. M. JOURDAN. STREET CLEANING MACHINE.

Patented June 2,1891.

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Patented Jun 2, 1891.

U ITED STATES? PATENT OFFICE.

LEONHARD MESMER JOURDAN, OF MjUTTENZ, SXVITZERLAND, ASSIGNOR TO FREDERICK JOURDAN, BRANFORD, CONNECTICUT.

STREET-CLEANING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION. forming part of Letters Patent No. 453,425, dated June 2, 1891.

Application filed January 19,1891. Serial No. 378,220. (No i -model.) Patented in Switzerland October '7, 1889, No. 1,419; in France March 6. 1890, No. 191,057, and in Germany March 11, 1890, No. 25,662.

[ connection with accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in-

Figure 1, a plan view of a machine constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2, a side view thereof; Fig. 3, a view in vertical transverse section on line 00 0c of Fig. 2 and looking forward; Fig. 4, a rear view of the machine; Fig. 5, a partial view thereof in vertical transverse section on line pg of Fig. 2 and looking rearward. Fig. 6 is a broken plan View showing the rear end of the machine. Fig. 7 is a broken View in side elevation, showing the rear end of the machine. Fig. 8 is a detached perspective view of the brake-plate o with its operating-lever j removed. Figs. 3, 4., 5, 6, 7, and 8 are drawn on a larger scale than Figs. 1 and 2.

My invention relates to an improvement in machines for cleaning streets, the object being to produce a machine having a large capacity for work and adapted to be operated on wide or narrow streets, to automatically 3 5 conform itself to the inequalities of the surface being cleaned, to be easily operated, and to have its brushes and scrapers retired for transporting it from one place to another.

With these ends in view my invention consists in a street-cleaning machine having certain details of construction and combinations of parts, as Will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

The main body or frame of the machine consists of a long rigid beam A, I-shaped in transverse section, supportedbya small wheeltruck B, located at its extreme forward end, and by a wheel-truck 0, having larger wheels than the truck B and located about a third of its length from its rear end. Transverse straps D, secured to the under face of the said beam A, are shaped at their ends to form supports for two long horizontal rods d (1. Two series of scraperframes are respectively swiveled upon these rods, so as to be independently movable up and down in a circular path. Each of these scraper-frames, which are placed edge to edge, consists, essentially, of three arms 6, e, and c and each arm carries at its outer end a concavo-convex shovel or scraperE. The scrapers of each frame are arranged obliquely to the length of the main frame and so as to slightlyoverlap each other, while the scrapers of each series of scrapers are arranged to deliver their accumulations from one to the other from the forward end of. the machine to the rear end thereof. The rear scrapers of each series deliver the dirt I and other matter so accumulated into semicircular pans or accumulators H H, respect- 7o ive'ly pivoted to the outer ends of bent arms 71. h, swiveled at their inner ends to the extreme rear ends-of the rods d d. Each of these accumulators is provided With a rearwardlyprojecting lever or handle h, by means of 7 5 which they may be independently lifted by the operator of the'machine above the ground,

so as to leave their accumulations in heaps to be taken away by trucks following the machine.

Transverse straps F, secured to the upper face of the beam A, are shaped at their ends to support two long rods ff. Two series of independently-movable brush-frames are respectivelyswiveled on the said rods, so as to move up and down in acircular path. Each of these brush-frames, which are placed edge to edge, is composed of two curved arms g g, forming its side pieces, and a transverse piece g, uniting the outer ends of the said arms and carrying the brushes G, which, as herein shown, are arranged in tufts or bunches. The rear arm of each of the brush-frames is made shorter than the forward arm thereof, so that the brushes standbbliquely. The brushes 5 are also arranged so that the material collected by them will be delivered from the forward brush of; each series to the brush next behind it, and so onto the rear of the machine, where the material so accumulated will be discharged to the accumulators already described. The said scraper and brush frames are raised and lowered by means of two long rotary beams K and L, located one above the other and journaled in vertical bearings I, se-

cured to the upper face of the beam A. Chains a, wound upon the lower beam L, are conneeted wit-h the scraper-frames, while corresponding chains g ,-wound upon the beam K, are connected with the brush-frames, so that when the beam L is rotated the scraper-frames of the series on one side of the beam A will be elevated and the scraper-frames of the corresponding series on the other side of the said beam correspondingly depressed, or vice versa, according to the direction in which the beam L is turned. The brush-frames are also raised and lowered in a corresponding manner by rotating the beam K. It will thus be seen that only one series of brushes and scrapers may be used at any one time. The accumulators II II are also connected by chains 9 g with the beam L, and are operated thereby in the same manner as the scraper-frames, being also free to be lifted, as before referred to, by the operator of the machine through their handles it it. Moreover, by properly rotating the beams K and L all of the brushes and scrapers, as well as the accumulators, may be brought into position intermediate between their operating positions. In such case all will be lifted sufficiently from the road-bed to permit the machine to be readily transported fromone place to another. Furthermore, either the brushes or the scrapers may be lifted and retired, so that the scrapers or brushes may be used independently, if dedesired. The rear end of the beam K is provided with a pinion M and the rear end of the beam L provided with a corresponding pinion N. Both of these pinions mesh into a smaller but wider pinion O, mounted upon alongitudinally-adjustable shaft P, the inner end whereof has bearing in a projection I ofisetting from the upright bearing I, secured to the rear end of the beam, and its outer end in a special bearing Q, also secured .to the said end of the beam A. By moving the shaft P longitudinally the pinion 0 may be brought into position to mesh with either or both of the pinions M and N, so that either or both of the rotary beams K and L may be rotated for raising and lowering the scraper and brush frames of both series simultaneously or independently, as has been before referred to. The wheel 0 is rotated for this purpose by means of a hand-lever or winch p, rigidly secured to the shaft P, and best shown by Figs. 4 and 6 of the drawings. The

said shaft P is secured in either one of its longitudinal positions bya retaining-latch q, pivoted at its inner end to the special upright Q and adapted to enter either one of three annular grooves q, formed at suitable distances apart in the said shaft P, whereby the said shaft and gear-wheel O are retained in the desired positions. In order to avoid an accidental retromovement of the rotary beams K and L, I provide a sliding brake-plate '0, (see Fig. 8,) mounted in suitable bearings upon the inner face of the rear upright Iand having a curved operating-lever j hinged to its upper end. By means of thesaid lever the brake-plate is lifted, so that the lower walls of the openings formed in it for the said beams K and L to pass through impinge against the said beams and prevent them from turning. The brake-plate is sustained in its lifted position by engaging the outer end of the operating-lever, Whichis depressed when the plate is raised by the retaininglatch g, which is thereto lifted and swung past its vertical center, as shown by Figs. 5 and 7 of the drawings.

For the purpose of giving the desired direction to the machine, or, in other words, to enable it to be operated in a path more or less oblique to the length of the street, its rear truck (3 is pivotally connected at one side of its center at the point a to a steering-rod R, which extends rearward and beyond the rear end of the beam A and is supported in the upright arms 8 s of the carrier S, which projects rearwardly from the rear end of the machine. The rear end of the said rod is screw threaded and a steering wheel S mounted upon it and located between the two arms 5 3. By turning this wheel, which is itself confined between the said arms, it is apparent that the rod must be moved forward or back, according to the direction in which it is turned, and the truck C set to an angle more or less oblique to the length of the machine. According as this rear truck 0 is set, the machine will travel in a path more or less oblique to the length of the street.

The forward truck B is provided with a hook b for the attachment of the team, by means of which the machine is drawn. The forward end of the machine is also provided with a seat V for the driver.

It will be apparent that as the scrapers and brushes are independently movable vertically they will be independently raised by elevations in the road-bed and automatically dropped into depressions therein, and inasmuch as the individual brush and scraper frames are short the cleaning agencies presented to the road-bed conform very closely thereto, and so operate with high eifcctiveness.

I would have it understood that I do not limit myself to the exact construction and arrangement of parts herein shown and described, but hold myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a street-cleaning machine, the combination, with a long body or main frame, of two series of independently-movable brushes respectively located on opposite sides of the said frame, two series of independently-movable scrapers correspondingly located, and means for connecting the corresponding series together for simultaneous operation, substantially as described.

2. In a street-cleaning machine, the combination, with a long body or main frame, of two series of independently-movable brushes respectively located on opposite sides of the said frame, two series of independently-movable scrapers correspondingly located, two rotary horizontal beams extending throughout the length of the machine, chains connecting the two corresponding series of scrapers with the respective beams, and means for rotating the beams simultaneously or independently, substantially as described.

3. In a street-cleaning machine, the combination, with a long body or main frame, of two series of independently-movable brushes respectively located on opposite sides thereof, two series of independently-movable scrapers correspondingly located, means for connecting the corresponding series together for simultaneous operation, and two accumulators respectively located on opposite sides of the said main frame at the rear end of the machine, substantially as described.

4. In a street-cleaning machine, the combination, with a long body or main frame, of two series of independently-movable brushes respectively located on opposite sides thereof, two series of independently-movable scrapers correspondingly located, means for raising or lowering the brushes and scrapers, wheeltrucks for supporting the said main frame, and means for setting the rear truck at angles more or less oblique thereto, substantially as described.

5. In a street-cleaning machine, the combination, with the main frame, of two series of independently movable brushes respectively located on opposite sides thereof, two series of independently movable scrapers correspondingly located, two rotary horizontal beams extending throughout the length of the machine, chains connecting all of the brushes with one beam and all of the scrapers with the other beam, a pinion located at the rear end of each of the beams, a pinion mounted on a horizontally-movable shaft in position to be meshed with the pinions at the ends of the beams, and means for rotating the said shaft, which, may be adjusted to engage its pinion with either or both of the pinions on the beams, whereby the same may be rotated independently or simultaneously, substantially as described.

.6. In a street-cleaning machine, the combia tion, with the main frame, of two series of independently-movable brushes respectively located on opposite sides thereof, two series of independently movable scrapers correspondingly located, means for lowering and raising the said brushes and scrapers, wheeltrucks for supporting the said main frame, a steering-rod pivotally connected with the rear truck and threaded at its outer end, which passes through two bearings, and a steerlngwheel mounted on the said rod and located between the said bearings, substantially as described. 7. In a street-cleaning machine, the combination, with a long body or main frame, of two series of independently-movable brushes respectively located on opposite sides of the said frame, two series of independently-movable. scrapers correspondingly located, two rotary beams extendin g throughout the length of the machine, chains connecting all of the brushes with one beam and all of the scrapers with the other beam, and a brake for preventing the retromovement of the said beams, substantially as described.

I 8. In a street-cleaning machine, the combination, with a long body or main frame, of two series of independently-movable brushframes respectively located on opposite sides of the main frame and each consisting of two bowed side pieces of unequal length and pivoted at their inner ends to the said frame, and a cross-piece joining the outer ends of the side pieces and standing obliquely to the said frame and carrying the brushes, and means for connecting all of the frames together, so as to operate them simultaneously, substantially as described.

9. In a street-cleaning machine, the combination, with a long body or main frame, of two series of independently-movable scraperframes respectively located on opposite sides of the same main frame, each frame consisting of two or more parallel arms pivotally connected at their inner ends with the main frame and each carrying at its outer end a scraper arranged obliquely to the main frame and overlapping its neighbor, and means for connecting all of the said frames together for operating them simultaneously, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed th1s specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LEONlIARD MESMER J OURDAN.

Witnesses:

W. WIRZ BAADER, A. STEINER SCHELLENBERG. 

